Wimbledon: Emma Raducanu withdraws, Sinner fit again ready to battle the heat

The opening day of the Grand Slam is traditionally a celebration of new starts and clean grass. Yet as play begins at Wimbledon, the contrasting fortunes of Emma Raducana and Jannik Sinner have revealed the unrelenting physical demands of modern tennis. On the eve of the tournament, the home crowd was dealt a crushing blow as the men’s world number one revealed the extreme lengths required to survive in the changing climate of the sport.

Day 1 Order of Play

For Raducana, the tournament was over before it could even begin. The British number one and 30th seed was forced into a late, heartbreaking withdrawal on Sunday night after a final medical check revealed that an ongoing injury in her right lower leg had developed into a stress fracture. The 23-year-old former US Open champion, who was due to open her campaign against Croatia’s Antonia Ruic on Court One, defiantly told reporters earlier in the day that she intended to push through the discomfort.

“I did everything to try to get to the starting line tomorrow, but after the final scan tonight, the ailment I was managing developed into a stress fracture,” Raducanu announced on Instagram.

“I was given medical advice to stop pushing.

The setback forms a devastating chapter in a career plagued by illness and injury since her historic triumph in 2021 in New York. Despite the promising grass construction that saw her reach the final at Queen’s Club under reunited coach Andrew Richardson, the underlying problem – dating back to the end of the clay season – proved insurmountable. After training last week and cutting training short on Saturday, medical reality has finally caught up with the home favorite’s ambitions.

FIT-AGAIN SINNER READY

Across the lot, top seed Jannik Sinner is preparing to face his own physical obstacles, albeit with a healthier prognosis. The 24-year-old Italian arrived in south-west London determined to banish the memory of his shock second-round collapse at Roland Garros. In Paris, Sinner raced to a two-set lead against Juan Manuel Cerndola succumbing to debilitating convulsions in the midst of a brutal European heat wave.

With Britain itself experiencing record temperatures last week, Sinner’s training team spent the next fortnight overhauling his preparation to withstand the extreme weather. Although the mild heat is forecast to ease ahead of Monday’s opener against Miomir Kecmanović, the top seed remains aware that global tennis operates in a new atmospheric reality.

“All the tests have been really good, although we are very sure that we need to train in warmer conditions,” commented Sinner.

“I feel like it’s going to be really hot everywhere we play. Every year it gets hotter and hotter.”

The Italian admitted that while “you can’t 100% simulate what you feel in a match because of the tension”, his team have introduced structural changes to his training routine. It’s a long process with “no magic”, but when Sinner enters the center court, he does so with the support of intense adaptation.

For Raducana, the summer dream is over; for Sinner, the battle against draw and elements is just beginning.

– The end

Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

29 Jun 2026 11:23 IST